Why We Fall
by ky48
Summary: What would Dick's parents say if they knew he was cutting himself? Rated T for self hurt  not in great gory detail


**So this story was made at the request of Feather Gambler for winning my contest. It's kind of related to my other story Showing Thanks so please feel free to read that as well, although it is not necessary to understand this one. **

The blade felt surprisingly warm in the cold November air as he pressed it against his skin, delicately sliding it across leaving a fresh red trench in his wrist. He lifted his arm just as another gust of icy wind came by, watching as the blood became painted across his skin, some droplets were taken up by the air to fly with it. The wind pulled harder, it wasn't safe to be on the roof anymore, not that the boy cared. He listened idly to its whistles and whispers.

"Such a shame, you have beautiful skin" It seemed to say in a voice that sounded far too much like his mother's.

His teeth captured his lower lip as hot clouds of air billowed out through them. Nights like these always brought up too many memories. He turned his face into the wind to allow it to dry his tears as he dug the knife in again with more pressure.

"It will be hard to grab the bar with those cuts." It whispered.

He slashed his skin now in short quickening strokes. His breath was becoming ragged as the wind sucked all of the air out of him.

"Shhhh Richard darling, you're tired, go to sleep now."

The cuts were jagged from his shaking hands. He felt so cold, but the blade was nice and warm, even if only for a second. The wind began singing to him, he felt dizzy,

"Sleep little baby bird, let your wings at rest. Tomorrow is another day-"

"Shut up!" The boy screamed to the wind shooting up to face his torturer. No one was there however. The boy felt his body rocking, or was it just the wind around him? He could no longer tell.

"Lay your head upon my chest…"

The boy clamped his scarlet covered hands over his ears, closing his eyes tightly, anything to make that voice go away. He took a step back, away from the offensive, taunting wind only to find he had no strength to hold himself up. His body was numb to the ice cold roof unable to register anything, even as he began falling through the air. As he neared the ground whooshing wind transformed into a familiar blood curtailing scream.

"Richard sweetheart are you alight?"

"Mary I think he's hurt."

Dick eyes opened with great difficulty. Blinding light surrounded him.

"Oh Dick sweetheart what have you done?"

"Mom?" The boy asked looking around for the source of the voice.

"Why did you do this Dick?"

"Mom where are you?" He still felt dizzy and as though his brain was filled with cotton. It caused a buzzing in his ears that nearly drowned out the voices.

"Richard why would you do this? Your Mother and I raised you better-"

"No! You did not!" Dick found himself screaming in the empty area. "You left me!" He had not meant to yell, he didn't mean it, but it hurt.

"Dick-"

"You-you left me alone. Why…why…" The buzzing was beginning to cover his own sobs. It all hurt too much, he wanted it to end; he wanted his mind to run blank, the buzzing to fill every corner of it and leave him like that forever.

"You used to be so happy Richard. How did you end up like this? How did your life become so vulnerable, so worthless?"

"Leave me alone…" He whispered, the buzzing even louder now.

"Richard."

"You had so much potential sweetie, don't waste it."

"Your Mother's right Dick, you have a chance we never will."

"Richard can you hear me?"

"No I am nothing! I want to be nothing, leave me alone!"

"Let us help you."

"Dick you need to wake up."

"Just come with your Mother and I son."

"No, vă rugăm să lăsaţi-mă în pace."

"You deserve better than this. We can make you happy again; come with us... vă rugăm sa fiu."

The voices were now almost completely gone.

"Dick wake up."

"No…."

Dick let his eyes shut, covering the offensive light. He wanted to fade into the darkness forever, no more pain, just warmth. Too soon though he found them opening again on their own accord, but the harsh light wasn't there.

"Dick, oh thank God, are you ok?"

Dick's eyes struggled to focus on the figure in front of him, the buzzing still muffling his hearing.

"They hate me Bruce." He barely managed to choke out.

"No one hates you Dick, why would you say that?"

Dick could feel the warm calloused hand push back his bangs to look at him; he leaned in gently to the touch.

"They-they're disappointed in me, of what I've done to myself." Dick raised his arm while he spoke; he could barely make out the red that covered his arm through the blurriness, perhaps that light really had blinded him. Again he felt warmth as a hand wrapped around his arm.

"Dick, this isn't your fault. You're going to get the help you need, there is nothing wrong with you and you need not be disappointed in anything in your life, understand?"

"I wasted the life that they could never have. I-I wish I had fallen with them, that the fall tonight had let me be with them forever."

Bruce said nothing to this as he continued to stroke the boy's hair. He had not realized that the boy had been speaking of his parents. He did not know Mary or John and would not pretend to know whether or not they would comfort or punish their son for his actions. He preferred to think not the later, but he would never be sure. He wasn't even certain of the reason the boy did this to himself in the first place, not that it mattered truly. All he was sure of was what his father would do if he had done the same as a boy.

"Dick, why do we fall?"

Said boy raised his crystal blue eyes that had yet to appear fully from behind their glaze.

"So that we may be able to pick ourselves back up." Bruce whispered resting a kiss on the boy's forehead. The boy in turn rested his head against the man's shoulder, hiding his face in the warmth.

"I can't speak for your parents Dick, but always know that I am very proud of you, and will always help you back up."

**Love it? Hate it? Fell asleep halfway through it?**

**Not too sure how much I like the story. I found it very hard to write for some reason, so it is not my best. Sowwwyy**

**For future reference I do consider any requests, so if you want a story written just pm me and I shall see what I can do!**

**Please Review!**


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